Elevator or transfer device



Oct. 29, 1929.

H. l. I AHR ET AL ELEVATOR OR TRANSFER DEVICE Filed March lO, 1925 'n 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 29, 1929. H. l. LAHR ET Al.

ELAJEVATOR OR TRANSFER DEVICE Filed March l0, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 29, 1929- H. l. LAHR ET AL ELEVATOR OR TRANSFER DEVICE Filed March l0, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 29, y1929 .UNITED STATES PATENroi-Fice l HARRY r.' LAHR AND LEHMAN nnnnwie, on n WAnswoR'rn, omo, A conformaron or omo oHI'o MATCH COMPANY, on

wnnswonrrr, oHIo, Assrerions To THE `Eraiva'ron' on TRANSFER nnvcn A yAminarnm filed .March '10 1925. i serial No.-`14,495.

This invention relates/to an elevator or, transfer device, fory receiving articles or: packages at onelevel, and elevating or transferring them to :l another level and there discharging thema*v y y The object of the invention is to provide a device ofthe character above described' which is capable of continuous'operation.and which is provided with auxiliaries adapted to ensure its operationwithout yfailingr and hence without interruption whileit is in service.

The device as shown in thedrawing, and as hereinafter describechis designed particularly i for` the handling of boxes ofmatches whereby such boxes of matches `may be received at one level, from afmatchiboxing machine, and elevated ,an-dfy discharged at another level ontola travelling conveyorror the like, for distribution or :transportation to ay point at which they maybe subjected to some further `operation such is-wrapping them in the ordinary commercial!packages.' n

Although' the yinvention. is, as stated, designed particularlyvfor the above use, it `will be obvious [that its 'utilityr notconlined thereto, but that it may be equally useful and cmcient in handling articlesor packages other than boxes of matches, an d the invention is to be so construed. H f

The invention consists yin yan velevator ror` transfer device, including` a substantially verticallyjarfranged conveyor chain or belt prof1` rvided at intervals throughout its length "with lugs to receive and elevate `boxes ofmaitches or other articles, provisi.onbeing made of mechanism for feeding the articles to be relevated or transferred to the upwardly travelling or working flight ofthe conveyor` chain;y or belt adjacent to its lower end. and'there being providedfalso adjacent to ythe upper endL of the -conveyorchain or belt meansfforfautol in improper position, as we willproceed now matically intermittently rdischarrgingy f the n boxes ofy matches or [other articles elevated by the chain yor belt, `means being associated with the :discharge mechanism for preventing discharge of the vboxes of matchesor articles to explainandvnally claim. f

In the accompanying drawimrsiillustrat-v y conveyorchain.

ing'the inventiomin the severalgures of Y tail view, in

which` like parts are similarly designated, Figurel is a side elevation illustrating the' device of the invention. Fig. 2 is a section on i av larger scale, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l and looking/in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a section on a larger scale taken on the linefof'Fig.y land looking yin the-'directionof the arrows Fig. 4-isa'fsectionalr elevation takenon the linee-4 of Fig. 2 and illustrating` theJ :mechanism7 located; adjacent tothe lower end of the c'onveyoi'lchain for depositing rthe boxes of matches or 'other articles thereon.'y Fig.`5'is a fragmentary desectional elevation, showing the mechanism for automatically discharging the boxes of matches or other'articles'from the de:- vice.r Fig. 6 is a'fragmentary detail sectional view off the tippermechanism rvfor ensuring proper positioning-of the boxes of matches* or'other articles just prior toftheir discharge from thedischarge device. F ig. 7y is ra frag-` mentary'detailf sectional View of one ofthe-` l trip members for! ensuring proper positioning' ofthe boxes of matchesor other articles upon the conveyorfchain orbelt during their upward progress therewith.r Referring more particularlvfto the drawings, l. indicates onememberxof an ordinary pipe framework for supporting a travelling conveyor 2,' suehas that yshown in the copendingr` application .ofi Harry I; Lahr and Orlo' E. Swartz. filed November 8,1924'. kSeri al No. 748.758, and upon this membersl is mount-g` cda bracketB carrying a stand 4 in which is j carried a shaft` 'on whichis journalled ya double sprocket' over` which g run ltwo similar conveyor chains 7 spaced apart an 'apf propri ate distance,as determinedby the spacing of theftwo sprockets of 'the double f sprocket, 5to accommodate the articles which the ydevice isdesigned to handle. ySpanning ythese two'chainsat suitable intervals througlia `out their lengthfis aA plurality of lugsS of( such shape an'dsize asto conveniently ac! ycoinodate the articles to be handled.y These 'chains `''yfeXtend downwardly :to a doubley sprocket 9 similar to the f around `this f sprocket,

thereby forming. ya workinoflight rzand an idle flight -ofjthe vsprocket 6 and pass The double sprocket 9 is mounted upon a shaft'l() journalled in suitable bearings y11Y Y carried by brackets 12 appropriately mountoffmatchesinto position to be engaged by the lugs 8 of the chains 7. Abutting against and co-operating with the guide member 15 areV ways 17 onto which the boxes of matches are n fed from the match boxing machine, and

`27y in :one direction.

along which theygare successively advanced by their own step-by-step feed motion as they are discharged from the match boxing machine.

In order to prevent boxes of matches from sliding forward too rapidly, and thus prevent them from being introduced out of time to the lugs 8 of the conveyor chains 7, we provide a friction hold-down member 18, same being in the nat-ure ofa weight adapted to exert suicient. pressure upon the boxes of Vmatches to prevent their untimely advance,

this member 18 `being'pivoted at 19 upon an extension 20 of oneof the brackets 12.

The working flight a .of the conveyorv chains runs in a guideway 21 composed of a plurality of suitably spaced and arranged rods 22 which form, in effect, a chute for the recept-ion of the boxes of matches,

whereby the boxes may be held in proper transverse alinement during their upward travel.

PivotedV in suitable. bearing members 23 zcarried by the guideway 21 are arms 24 carrying trip members 25. The function of these members will beset forth in connection with the description'of the operation of the device. Y

rThe guideway 21, at its upperend follows in contour for a short distance the bend taken by the conveyor chains 7, Vas they pass over the double pulley 6 and then ly for a short" distance as at 26, and at this point,r there is 'arranged a rtipper Vmember comprising a plate 27 pivoted at 28 and carrying a weighted arm 29, this arm being pro.- vided with a lug 30 arrangedto strike against a stop 31 Then the guideway makes a downward turn as at 32 at a slight incline and is closed to'formfor a short dis-k tance whatis in effect a tube, by the addition of other rods 37carried'by a bracket 34 suitably attached to the stand 4.' For ensuring proper discharge of the boxes of matches'at regular intervals jfromthe discharge end 0 of the Guideway, we provide a 'discharge mechanism or trap. {Fig`5)` comprising a shutter member or plate 35 carried by a bell extends horizontal! to limit the'movement ofthe plate crank lever 36 pivoted at 37 in suitable bearings 38 mounted upon the guideway, and having connected with it a toggle, composed of a link 39 and trip lever 40, the trip lever 40 having a xed pivot 41 on a bearing member 42 mounted upon the guideway. VThe free end 43 of the trip lever 40 extends into the path of travel of the lugs 8 of the conveyor chains 7 as they pass over the pulley 6 and start their descent, and` consequently, as each lug strikes the trip lever 40, it will cause the shutter plate 35 to be withdrawn from the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 and out of box intercepting relation to the guideway 21, and will allow a box of matches, if one is resting upon it, to be' dropped upon the conveyor 2. The shutter plate 35 is held nor Y mally in the .posit-ion shown in Figs. 1 and 5 by means of a spring 44, and its movement under the influence of the spring 44 is limited by means of a bar 45 carried bv the guideway. rlhe operation ofthe device is as follows As hereinbefore explained, the boxes of matches advance step by step along the ways 17 as they are intermittently fed onto same from the discharge end of the boxing machine, and as they passV under the friction device 18 will drop one by one down the guide member 15 between its flange tracks 16 and will be in position to be engaged by the upwardly travelling lugs 8 of the working flight a of the conveyor chains.

rlhe lugs 8 are vso'arranged upon the conveyor chains 7 and willr passthe point of introduction to the conveyor chains of the boxes of matches at such intervals that only every alternate oneof the lugs, rather than each of same, willY receive a box'of matches. VThis is done for the reason that it is customary, while the boxes of matches are passing along the ways 17, for an inspector to lift out a box of matches from time to timeto see that it is properly filled, and to make such other( in- Vadvancing row of boxes, he throwsthe row,

so far as its feed to the conveyor chains is concerned, out of Vtime with relation thereto,

Y thereby feeding two'boxes of matches to the chain when onebox only rwould normally be fed thereto. The intermediate lug 8 will takecare'of this extra box of mat-ches.

' As the boxes of matches ascend the elevator i guided by the guideway'21 under the iniiuence of the lugs '8, it sometimes happens that boxes assume the rposition upon thelugs indicated at cl. r-lhis position is incorrect, and in order that the boxes thus positioned may be reposi-y tioned'properly, as indicated at e, I provide the trip members 25. These trip members are so arranged asrt'o have ,theiry lower edges f enat Z and will tend tol turn the box of matches gage with the outstanding side'ofY a box of matcheswhen itis k1n thevfposition indicated meegaan over with the end g of the lug 8 upon which it rests as a fulcrum, but this turning will not be completed until the box of matches is well within the trip member 25, and as the box of matches falls off of the lug Son which it was resting, it will be guided by the trip member 25 so as to fall upon thenext lug 8 following, which, ordinarily, carries no box ofy matches.

As many of thesetrip members may be employed as desired, or they may be omitted entirely if it is deemed advisable, and righting of the boxes with relation to the conveyor chains may be entrusted entirely to the tipper member including plate 27 arranged adj acent to the dischargeend of the device. `This tipper member is so arranged that if a box of matches advances in the position indicated at cl, the box will strike against the plate 27 (Fig. 6), and will be turned over as it is advanced in the guideway.

As the boxes of matches pass under the tipper member, they will slide down one by one against the shutter member 35 and will be automatically and intermittently discharged thereby onto the conveyor 2.

The discharge mechanism including the shutter member 35 is used in combination with the device of the invention for the reason that in some instances, it has been found that boxes of matches making the` drop from the horizontal portion 26 of the guideway through the inclined portion 32 thereof and thence downwardly upon the conveyor 2 when no device similar to the discharge mechanism or trap is used, will attainsuflicient momentum to cause them to bounce upon striking the conveyor 2 and assume positions thereupon other than that which it is desired that they assume. With the discharge mechanism or trap in use, the drop of the boxes of matches is broken at a point near the conveyor 2, and when they are released upon movement of the shutter member 35,l they have only a short distance to fall to reach the conveyor, and this short distancehas been found to prevent their acquiring suiiicient momentum to bounce or otherwise get out of alinement upon striking the conveyor. l

As the boxes are deposited upon the conveyor 2, they will be carried along thereby and out of the guideway, thus making room for other boxes of matches subsequently discharged from the elevator. a

It will thus be seen that We provide a very simple and eiiicient mechanism well adapted# for the vpurpose for which it is designed, and

provided withv auxiliaries to correct faulty positioningof boxes of matches during their transfer by it and to prevent misalinementor incorrect positioning of the boxes when discharged. Moreover, the device'is so designed, and operates in such a manner as to practically eliminate the possibility of its failure to functionproperly, and is of ysufthereof, said bntlyimg'gd construction'notyto liem@ y inoperative due to l breakage.L

Various changes-arev contem1'Jlatedfas-with-'- the `scope of:

forgtiidingsaid-articles during their transfer, and means for discharging said articles from said guiding means including a trap and means connected therewith and interi mittently `actuated by said chain for discharging said articles in timed `relation to' the travel of saidchain. y

2. In a transfer device, a travelling conveyor chain provided with a `plurality of spaced article-receiving lugs, said articles being so fed in timed relation to the travel of said chain that each alternater lug only receives an article, means for ensuring properr positioning yof said articles on said `lugs including trip members arrangedto yrotate an` incorrectly positioned article and cause vit to fall uponthe next succeeding lug in proper position, and a dischargeinechanism for discharging said articles from the transfer device in timed relation to the travel of said chain. y f v 3. In a transfer device, a travelling conveyor chain having a working flight and an idle flight provided with plurality-.of

spaced article-receiving lugs, means for feeding articles to the lugs of said chain, a guidef n way for guiding the working flight of said chain and the articles carried by the lugs guideway having a discharger end, and discharge mechanismarranged in said discharge end andk including a trap and y means connected with said trap and actuated by said chain lugs for discharging articles therefrom in timed relation to the travel yof saidchain. `y ,'f y w 4. In a transfer device, a ktravelling conveyor chain having a Working flight andan idle flight, sprockets over which said chain runs, one of said sprockets being ata higher level than the other,fa guideway paralleling the working flight of said chain and extending from the level of the lower sprocket to the level ofthe higher sprocket, a ybend" in -said guideway adJacent to said higher sprocket, said guideway yprovided with a discharge end at a downward inclineadjacent to said bend, means for feeding'articles to be elevated to' they workingfiight yof Lsaid f chain, a tipper member arranged adjacent to thebend of said yguideway near its ydischarge end andadapted to correctly position insaid `f yguideway articlesr` incorrectly: positioned therein prior rto their discharge, discharge'L means arranged inthe discharge end of said ,f f i y guidewayy and includinga shutter member adapted to arrest movement of the articles*V Y in the downwardincline-oi1 said gudeway,

HARRY I. LAHR.V LEHMAN D. HELWIG. 

